Welcome to my blog, visit with me as I tell you a story about my quilting.

Welcome

Hello, welcome to my blog. I'm still not sure what I will be featuring in this blog. I know it will be about quilting, but I might throw in the latest book I'm reading on my Kindle. So come along a follow me through my world of quilting and other stuff.

Wednesday, October 31, 2012

Getting back to work was no big deal, not much to do, not for me anyway. I decided that since early voting polls were back open today that I would take my mother up to vote and get mines in also (that “killing two birds with one stone” idea kicking in). I told my father that while he was out at McDonalds that he should also go vote. He went and said it was too crowded (Yah right).

There is a campaign out to vote for a women, but I did not see her on the ballot. Who you ask? Maxine of course, Maxine for President. Would it not be good to have a Women President.

I would vote for her, how about you?

I did not get any quilting done today, the men of the house wanted to eat. Who do they think I am, Martha Stewart, “that is a good thing”? I am more like Cheri in Mermaids, fix them cheese and crackers, and party food, and leave me alone, I need time to quilt.

Excuses, excuses, it is also payday week and I need to get the bills paid before I have no power, gas or water. I also need time to check out my fellow bloggers, even you, and leave comments, so I can get to bed early. I brought my computer down stairs so I can cook, clean, and blog. Hmmm, I fell an commercial song coming on, Enjoli – I can bring home the beacon, fry it up in a pan, and never, never let you forget you’re a man, cause I’m a woman, Enjoli.

O.K., let me sign off now and get to working on the bills and reading the blogs.

Tuesday, October 30, 2012

No, I am not killing any birds over here, I just like the saying. Another day off form work, but have to hit the old JOB tomorrow, so I got some cleaning and washing done while I also working on my signature blocks.

What I meant, by “Killing two birds with one stone” is that I chain pieced by 4” squares' onto my 6” squares then turned them and stitched another 1/4” down the the other side. This might not be new to most of you, but for beginners it might be helpful. I got this from my favorite YouTube quilter Jenny Doan of Missouri Quilt Co.

In doing this and cutting down the center I have created and HST block, (I think that is what it is called). Now I have a 3-1/2” square I can use in another project later on.

I completed 20 blocks today and only have 30 more to go. When I started to make mistakes, I new it was time for me to leave the blocks alone and come back another day to do. I do not need them until November 16th, so I have time to work on them when I get home from work.

Here is one of the completed blocks. I am using a lot of scrap fabric, oriental and batiks. After I finish the blocks, I will have to cut up some freezer paper to iron on the back to make it stable enough to write on. I most likely will not finish the quilt until after Christmas when I print out the pictures from the retreat. It will give me time to put the other signature blocks from my other retreat together. You know how it is, you keep starting new projects before you finish the one you should. What can I say I get board easily. My mind keeps jumping from one thing to another. “Peace Be Still” or should that be “Mind Be Still”. It is a wonder I get anything done.

Well, as you can tell by the time of this post that it is early for me. I have my last load of clothes in the dryer. I have cleaned up my sewing mess and ready to get upstairs and get my clothes iron for work tomorrow. I really should wash my hair, but do not fell like it. The Hart of Dixie is about to come on and then NCSI both of them, so I am taping all the shows just in case I fall to sleep.

This is a picture of the floods in New Jersey, I live in D.C. and survived not having a flood. D.C. schools, and governments, and public transportation was shut down on Monday. Since it was my day off it was not such a big deal for me. Because of the shut down of public transportation Tom and I had to go over to the Washington Hospital Center to pick up my daughter from work at around 8:30 a.m. Since we were already out we went shopping over at Wal-Mart to pick up batteries and a few other items. Yes, we should have batteries, but you know how it is, “out of sight, out of mind”. We were in luck, they had batteries and fully stock shelves. From there we stopped pass the Mall, put it was closed, must of all the other stores were open, liquor store (you can't have a good storm without stocking up, I stopped pass on my second run out).

The weather was rainy and the winds high, put manageable. We got back home around 1:00 (other stops made). When Tom went up to the bed room he discovered that the bed was wet, after look up he saw a leak over the bed. Well dame, what are we going to do about this with all this rain coming down. We moved the bed, put a bucket under the leak and hope for the best. At least we got the bedroom cleaned up and found missing items under the bed.

Since the winds were picking up and the rain coming down a little harder, my daughter decided that she should go into work early, she does not have to be in until 11:30 so we took her in at 7:00, on this trip out we went back to store to pick up some items for my mother. This trip we saw down trees and light out in some neighborhoods. We are still lucky, we will have electricity and no down trees.

In between running out, I did get some cutting done. I am working on a signature quilt for a church retreat next month and wanted to get this out of the way.

I need about 50 or 60 block, I cut up some white fabric and looked through by scrap material for the tri-angles. This will be a 5-1/2” block, after cutting about a hundred scrap blocks I folded them so that when I get them to the machine, I can just follow the fold line instead of drawing them (I am not a straight sewer, and after one drink do telling were the line will be).

Now those little slivers of fabric above will be turned into something I hope, I saving them to try a technique I saw, I will let you know if it turns out o.k. These fabric pieces over on the side here will be a scrappy block of some kind.

Since they have shut down the government again (Tuesday), I will have time to put these blocks together and might even have time to work on other UFOs that I have. I am sure we will be back to work on Monday, but if they give us situational leave on Wednesday, I might just take it.

I hope all of you have survived Sandy in a good way and got some quilting done before the power went out.

Friday, October 26, 2012

So sorry for being MIA for a couple of days, but I have not been sewing anything, not been feeling well, but I am back on a semi-track. I have several items that I need to work on that I cannot show you until I give it to the person I am doing it for, but when you see it you will go WOW!!

This is The Self Binding Baby Quilt, which is soooo easy and only takes about 10 minutes or more to make. It was demonstrated on YouTube by Jenny Doan of the Missouri Quilt Co. I love Jenny and her quick tips and tricks in putting some block together. I would have done two, put I cut my fabric wrong. I think I will have to piece it together and try to do another one. Check out the video I am sure you will love to make this blanket for your next child, grandchild or charity project.

This is a baby panel that I just had to add a boarder to and will only have to add the binding when I get home from work. These two quilts will be given to St. Ann’s Infant & Maternity House here in D.C. along with others that my Wee Bee Quilter sisters have also done.

Here is my win, from I Have A Notion the Seam-Fix. It is a seam ripper with a rubber tip that can erase the holes (or sort of eliminate) the holes from were you have ripped out the seams. I cannot wait to use this little item. Not that I want to have to rip out any seams.

The other night my son brought me a cup cake (he had several kinds really) that a 13 year old enterprising young lady had made. Let me tell you they were great, you will have to taste them to even know how good they are. Her name is Jada Blount and her business is called Epic Cakes 101. You just have to see the list of cup cakes that she makes.

Just look at them. Don’t they make your mouth just water. Loaded Sweet Potato, Banana Pudding and Peach Cobbler, there are other flavors that look just as good. I had a taste of the Banana Pudding and it tasted just like it. If you get a chance please stop pass her web site, www.EpicCakes101.com and read her story. If you are living in the Maryland, Virginia or D.C. area she can deliver.

Sunday, October 21, 2012

I attended the annual Southern Comforters of Bowie, Maryland Quilt Guild – Quilt Bingo and won this quilt. I and three other people called BINGO so it was a elimination round, I was able to pick from the bobby prizes and what a bobby prize this is.

Here are some of the quilt that were up for grabs

There were about 20 quilts contributed to the BINGO and a lot of happy winners.

I also won the Seam-Fix Un-sewing Tool from I Have A Notion you can see this tool on their web site. I am on a roll again.

Saturday, October 20, 2012

I am trying to complete my blocks for the Craftsy BOM. I have about 3 or 4 months of blocks to complete. After runing around to the stores last night after work I thought I would get started on my last Dresden the wheel.

This is the Modern Dresden Wheel

This is the Traditional Dresden, but my way using the Cheryl Philips pattern, which was much easier.I enjoyed doing both blocks and hope in the future that I will complete a a queen size quilt using one or both patterns.I will not be attending my Guild meeting today, since I have some house cleaning to do, hopefuly it will not take so long to clean and while I am washing clothes, I will have time to work on my next block the paper piece one that I was have trobule with.BOM FinishThe Slow Quilter

Wednesday, October 17, 2012

I have always wanted to do a Dresden plate block or quilt, but have always stayed away from it because I am that lazy. I do not like to sew all those round or pointed Dresden down. But being the person I am (who am I?), I will not let a block hold me back, if I make it once, I might just make it again. In the Craftsy BOM Dresden was one of the blocks, so in order for me to complete this block I thought I would go purchase me a template (I do not like cutting cardboard templates or thin plastic).

I love gadgets, and anything that has a template I most likely will buy. Week before last I attend the Original Sewing/Quilting Expo in Chantilly, VA (sorry I did not post about it, but will show you some pictures later this week). I went to my favorite booth, The Gypsy Quilter-Lanette Eden, she sales a lot of rulers and gadgets that make sewing fun and easy. I went looking for a Dresden ruler and pattern, I was not disappointed when she showed me a Cheryl Phillips book, Dresden Flowers which came with a Dresden wedge tool (I paid $12.99, on line it was only $5.00, shoot me now why don’t you).

So here is how easy this was, and I love it.

I cut out 12 wedges from a 4-1/2” strip of fabric and then cut 12 2-1/4” x 3-1/2” insert piece. As you can see you have about 1/4” of the insert sticking out from the side that is good.

Above is the back and front version before pressing. I pressed all the Dresden in one direction. Then I opened up the wedge and pressed them down. Doesn’t this look cool, I have points, I love the colors I picked out, this is just my sample block, put if it comes out alright, I might use it for my BOM and since I having such fun, I just might make a couple of more.

As you can see from above, after pressing the wedges down, I turned it over and did a basting 1/8” basting stitch, then cut to even out the round. Now the next step might seem hard for most of you, it was one of the things I have always stayed away from, how to fit a round into a square. I have seen it done, I even have Cheryl Phillips Circles Around book, but never tried it. It just looked like to much work. My thinking is just cut a circle with fusible on the back and stick it on a square.

I folded a 13 x 13 square into 4 folds and using a circle template and cut out the circle, laid the circle and square face up turn the inner circle towards the Dresden outer edge and Walla!!!! the Dresden is complete.

Pressing out, trim to 12-1/2 square. It might look like a lot of work, put this was soooo easy. I enjoyed doing the block and when I get home from work tomorrow, I am going to try the round tip Dresden.

So what do you think, those of you who have done Dresden plates before using different methods, how do you like this one? Do you think it is easer or too complicated or too much work? Let me know how you feel about this.